Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-03-16

H80M TACOMA
ne CITY PlusxeA IN Darkness - I
Few werds Rrsm 5aAGe Beys.
here Law Than was Aske4 fer.
Am Public Imprsxenents
PaFaaynea ~ the Kinsh
strees SaaGmeaG
Whsv. HERE'S . pretty stAte Of things.
lodge Hsyt seems 20 have sisen Tseoms
entirely too much Law On MoEday night
The result 10 utter bewildsrmens and
1nFestrained wrath all over the city, TIE
plaintiffs and defendants alike and all
their sympsthizsrs joining IN TIE cry.
-If this iadRmsns % sustained said
City Attorney Carroll yesterday morn
ing. 1T means paralysis e all public
improvements In Tscoma."
Yea. that's what 10 msana," said
ConBcilman Bashfora. whe, followed By
Ooancilman Bacon snd preceded By
Coancilman Hannah. had jsst come
into the Attorneys offiSe.
NOV thai tbey We started it let them
90 ahead. Wen stop improvements
and 20 30 having for q while and see
hoe they like il. don't care. I've got
q little house hers, bat can get rid Of
that and get cut. Pvs been wanting TO
act out Of this town for years. and Ia
do Il nov. Wen see how Mr.. @. b
Wright likes the workings Of bis Law
suit. / think that suggestion OF yours.
Bacon, 10 . good one. Well shut of
the electric lights and plunge the city in
darkness again, for We must begin TO
retrench."
At this Bacon and Hannah nodded q
smiling assent, and Hannah took the
door and
WITH sWIEdIxd AXIS,
Said: sit Just narrows down 30 THE:
Here IL Q man Who owns the tovn. We
are induced TO come here and boy lots
and build eur houses and then be saye:
You have get to pay nv tar or you
can't improve your street.'n
I'VE did the best We could vhea We
offered to assume Is per cent Of the cost
and they Wouldn't have 10. Nov let
them make the most Of it," added
Bashforo.
"Bus then che Jadge said that you
OouuciImeR we're wrong; that the petit
Gion vas illegal aud yet you ordered the
work 90 90 on. Why did you do that r.
said old Myron Ward, who had stood in
the Eaidst Of she angry Rroape all this
While. leaning on his cane and listening
stoIidly.
''Oh, that makes no difference" they
answered in chorus. "The fact il that
this town has got black eye because
these fellows refused to compromise.
Ali this discussion grew out of she de-
eiaion Of JadRe Hoyt in the Ninth
street Improvement Casa case pretty
ha a. 10 hi
eraded between A and X streets. The
heavy work occurs between d and K
streets. Between A and ID streets
the ebuttiDR property 10 mush more
valuable, bus the cost of improvement
there il q mere trife. Under the new
charter, however, assessments are made
according TO the value Of the property,
and conseQuenfly threa-fourths of the
Tacoma Avenue falls on the property
owners lower down, and they
REUSED TO SIGN
Tine petition for the Improvement. They
did sign petition for improving the
street between A and ID streets, how
ever, and another petition was signed
by the others for the improvement
above that poiRt. 1t vas thought that
these two could he coupled together or
that legal num Der of siQners & ma
ioEity Of the resident property OwneEs)
hai been obtained il q lot owned by the
city itself could be counted in. 80 she
work was ordered to be done. Warn
inRs we're m de eO1tinually that the pc
IitiOn was insufficient and Illegal and
that the assessments woald not be paid.
but the contracts were let desI lite il all
and the work progressed; the asssss-
ments we're levied, payment refused and
an attempt as compromise made-the
property owners Offering to pay 80 per
cent. above the cost of improving the
street between A and ID, wkioh was re
fused By the city, and the city, in its
turn, Offering TO assume % per cent. Of
the total assessment upon that district,
which vas refused by the property owE-
ers. Orders OF sale were then made and
the property oSners went into court for
an IL junction to restrain. Tais drew
from Judge Hoyt preliminary order
according 30 the request OF the petition
ers- The petition WAS void, be said, be-
cause II failed to state in tbs beading
that the signsFs we're residents OF the
city. That failure made priBla faeie
case against the city.
The Judge did not stop there, how
ever, and that is why the petitioners
mourn also With the defendants. H.
vent on and stated that